WHO & Regional Offices [to 2 April 2016]

WHO calls for early diagnostic tests for lassa fever
01 April 2016 — Lassa fever has killed more than 160 people in West Africa, most of them in Nigeria, since November 2015. Many of these lives could have been saved if a rapid diagnostic test were available so that people could receive treatment early. Also around 80% of people who become infected with Lassa virus have no symptoms or they have symptoms that mimic other illnesses, such as malaria, making it difficult to treat them.

Highlights
General Assembly proclaims the Decade of Action on Nutrition
April 2016 — The United Nations General Assembly today agreed a resolution proclaiming the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025. The resolution aims to trigger intensified action to end hunger and eradicate malnutrition worldwide, and ensure universal access to healthier and more sustainable diets.

New positive case of Ebola virus disease confirmed in Liberia
April 2016 — Liberian health authorities convened an emergency meeting today with key partners to coordinate and plan a rapid response to the new positive case of Ebola virus disease.

The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) celebrates 90 years
April 2016 — On 1 April 1926, epidemiologists in the Health Office of the League of Nations, Geneva created the first WER. The publication’s mission was to provide the world with information about disease hazards that, at that time, mostly travelled by sea: plague, cholera, yellow fever, typhus and smallpox.

A global course for healthy ageing
April 2016 — A new supplemental issue of The Gerontologist contains 12 articles that expand upon the major themes of the landmark WHO World report on ageing and health released in late 2015.

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WHO SAGE Meeting
Geneva: 12 – 14 April 2016.
:: • Draft agenda pdf, 121kb as of 18 March 2016

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Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 01 April 2016, vol. 91, 13 (pp. 169–180)
Contents
169 A journey through 90 years of the Weekly Epidemiological Record
177 Message from the World Organisation for Animal Health
178 Into the future: are we ready to face modern outbreaks?

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GIN March 2016 pdf, 1.71Mb
31 March 2016

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Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
:: 1 April 2016 – Microcephaly – France – Martinique
:: 29 March 2016 – Yellow Fever – China
:: 29 March 2016 – Zika virus infection – Dominica and Cuba
:: 29 March 2016 – Microcephaly – Panama
:: 29 March 2016 – Guillain-Barré syndrome – Panama
:: 29 March 2016 – Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Director General of WHO and Regional Director for Africa in Luanda to support response to the yellow fever epidemic
Luanda, 2 April 2016 – The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Margaret Chan, and the Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, will be in Luanda, from 2 to 5 April 2016, for a working visit. The visit aims to acquaint them with ongoing efforts to prevent and control the yellow fever epidemic which has gripped the country since December 2015, and to identify ways of further strengthening support to Angola. r
:: WHO coordinating vaccination of contacts to contain Ebola flare-up in Guinea – 01 April 2016
:: New positive case of Ebola virus disease confirmed in Liberia – 01 April 2016
:: Extraordinary Meeting of the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) – 01 April 2016

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Zika Virus Surveillance Intensifying in the Americas, but Burden of Disease Still Unclear (03/29/2016)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO congratulates India for introduction of rotavirus vaccine in the routine immunization schedule
27 March 2016

WHO European Region EURO
No new relevant content identified.

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Health situation in Yemen critical as violent conflict enters second year
27 March 2016, Sana’a, Yemen – This week marks one year since the escalation of the conflict in Yemen, where the violence has had a devastating impact on millions of innocent civilians, causing immeasurable suffering. Since March 2015, more than 6200 people have been killed and 30 000 injured. More than 21 million people – 82% of the total population – are in need of humanitarian aid, including almost 2.5 million people who have been internally displaced. More than one third of people in need live in inaccessible or hard-to-reach areas.

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Working together to eliminate schistosomiasis in the Mekong
MANILA, 30 March 2016 – The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with communities across the Western Pacific Region to improve water safety and prevent water-borne diseases such as schistosomiasis. This story describes action in the Mekong region to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem. Schistosomiasis can cause not only anaemia and stunting but also death in severe cases